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en-usCopyright 2015 AOL Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only.Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/01/17/cello-fortress-is-half-video-game-half-live-musical-performance/?utm_medium=feed&utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_campaign=Joystiq&ncid=rss_semi
http://www.joystiq.com/2013/01/17/cello-fortress-is-half-video-game-half-live-musical-performance/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/01/17/cello-fortress-is-half-video-game-half-live-musical-performance/?utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Joystiq#commentsOn its surface, Cello Fortress looks like a fairly straight forward (if rudimentary) twin-stick shooter for up to five players. Dig just a tiny bit deeper, however, and you'll discover that this game has a somewhat unique set of rules. For starters, one of the players must always be a man named Joost van Dongen, and his controller absolutely has to be a cello. For realsies.

Basically, van Dongen controls the half of the game that would normally be the purview of the computer in a standard twin-stick shooter, spawning cannons and mines and such to thwart the other four players and their respective tanks. To do so, van Dongen must play his cello in varying ways, improvising melodies that will lead to both effective in-game strategies and a listenable performance.

Don't expect Cello Fortress to show up on Steam Greenlight anytime soon, though. The game is as much of a piece of performance art as it is a collection of code, and as such can only be experienced during live events scheduled by van Dongen. That schedule can be found on the game's official website, and here's hoping for some tour dates outside of The Netherlands.

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cellocello-fortressJoost-van-Dongenlive-musicmusicmusic-gamesperformance-artThu, 17 Jan 2013 02:00:00 -050011|20431276http://www.joystiq.com/2011/02/10/7-studios-shut-down-part-of-activision-music-game-cutback-staf/?utm_medium=feed&utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_campaign=Joystiq&ncid=rss_semi
http://www.joystiq.com/2011/02/10/7-studios-shut-down-part-of-activision-music-game-cutback-staf/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/02/10/7-studios-shut-down-part-of-activision-music-game-cutback-staf/?utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Joystiq#comments
7 Studios, part of Activision's music game division, has been shut down, according to staff posting on Twitter. Following Activision's announcement yesterday that its Guitar Hero business unit would be disbanded and no new music games would be released this year, 7 Studios producer Damon Conn tweeted, "Directly affected me. Our music games division really took a hit today."

"Activision is shutting down the Guitar Hero business as of today. This includes my studio," another 7 Studios staff member named Alex confirmed last night on Twitter, "Anyone know of any open associate producer jobs?" (This appears to be the Twitter account of 7 Studios' Alex Beckers, who has updated his LinkedIn profile to reflect the end of his employment at the studio. [Update: Beckers has confirmed his Twitter identity.])

"Lame day, but [I'm] optimistic about the future [and] wish the best to all my current/former colleagues," added 7 Studios creative director Dan Lehrich on his Twitter account. "Good luck to all, let me know if I can help." Lehrich later exchangedtweets with Beckers in a heartfelt goodbye.

7 Studios was acquired by Activision in early 2009, an action that launched a still-ongoing series of lawsuits with publisher Genius Products, which had contracted 7 Studios to create Scratch: The Ultimate DJ (pictured) before Activision stepped in and scooped up the studio (halting Scratch's development). In October 2009, Activision reportedly reduced 7 Studios' staff by half, leaving the developer with approximately 30 employees (LinkedIn currently lists 36).

7 Studios was assumed to be the DJ Hero "B-team," supporting Freestyle Games as needed, including work on DJ Hero 2. "I can't tell you what they're doing, but they're doing some cool stuff," Activision exec Dave Stohl told us last July. "They have supported FreeStyle a little bit, but they're doing something new and different." According to Lehrich's LinkedIn page, 7 Studios was involved in the creation of the Guitar Hero VIP Pass DLC hub, in addition to "Unannounced Projects" for iOS and "Various Prototypes/Concepts" for a number of platforms.

Both Conn and Beckers additionally listinvolvement in last year's Space Camp.
Update: A source close to the situation, who wishes to remain anonymous, tells us that approximately half of 7 Studios' staff members were immediately laid off and will receive sixty days worth of severance pay. The remaining staff are apparently directly involved with the aforementioned lawsuits, which are reported to go to trial next month. Allegedly, these staff will be paid for the next 120 days, which is expected to cover the time it takes to resolve the legal dispute with Genius Products. The source additionally confirmed that 7 Studios had been working on a few music-related iOS games.

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7-studiosactivisionclosuredamon-conndan-lehrichdj-hero-2guitar-hero-riplayoffsmicrosoftmobilemusicmusic-gamesnintendoplaystationps3shutdownspace-campwiixboxThu, 10 Feb 2011 11:00:00 -050011|19838286http://www.joystiq.com/2010/11/19/music-game-sales-continue-plunge-down-the-charts/?utm_medium=feed&utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_campaign=Joystiq&ncid=rss_semi
http://www.joystiq.com/2010/11/19/music-game-sales-continue-plunge-down-the-charts/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/11/19/music-game-sales-continue-plunge-down-the-charts/?utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Joystiq#comments
If this sounds like a familiar tune, it is: Music game sales have plummeted for a second-straight year. But this year, the tune is way more off key.

According to analysis by Gamasutra, which looked at the period from January through October in each of the past three years, music game revenues in the U.S. have taken a phenomenal nose dive from an epic height of $1.6 billion in 2008 to where they've landed today: under $250 million for the year. "Short of a Christmas miracle," concludes analyst Matt Matthews, "music games won't break $400 million for all of 2010."

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activisiondj-hero-2eagreen-day-rock-bandguitar-heroguitar-hero-warriors-of-rockharmonixmicrosoftmtv-gamesmusicmusic-gamesnintendoplaystationpower-gig-rise-of-the-sixstringps3rhythmrock-bandrock-band-3salesseven45softwareviacomwiixboxFri, 19 Nov 2010 23:00:00 -050011|19726605http://www.joystiq.com/2010/05/06/guitar-hero-6-another-dj-hero-coming-this-fall/?utm_medium=feed&utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_campaign=Joystiq&ncid=rss_semi
http://www.joystiq.com/2010/05/06/guitar-hero-6-another-dj-hero-coming-this-fall/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/05/06/guitar-hero-6-another-dj-hero-coming-this-fall/?utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Joystiq#comments
Activision has confirmed on an earnings call today that Guitar Hero 6 will be on store shelves sometime this fall, with a new DJ Hero game coming soon after. The music game market is a changing place, admitted CEO Bobby Kotick -- it will "continue to compress," with fewer titles and brands finding success. Activision has "moved from the sell-through of higher-priced peripherals," and its new plan is for "improved economics on a higher percentage of software sales."

Kotick said that Guitar Hero "remains the leader in the category with more than 44 million games sold to date," and that both releases this year would be followed with "a full lineup of exciting downloadable content."

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activisionactivision-blizzardbobby-kotickdj-heroguitar-hero-6marketMicrosoftmusicmusic-gamesneversoftNintendored-octaneWiiXbox-360Thu, 06 May 2010 18:40:00 -040011|19467939http://www.joystiq.com/2010/03/06/esrb-outs-lips-i-heart-the-80s/?utm_medium=feed&utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_campaign=Joystiq&ncid=rss_semi
http://www.joystiq.com/2010/03/06/esrb-outs-lips-i-heart-the-80s/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/03/06/esrb-outs-lips-i-heart-the-80s/?utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Joystiq#comments
For those of you looking to put your '80s singing chops to the test, it would appear that iNiS will be offering you just that chance if a recent ESRB listing for a fourth installment in the Lips series is to be believed. "Lips: I (Heart) the 80s" was recently spotted by IGN over on the ratings website, sporting a description that reveals at least two tracks from the 1980s-centric title -- The Police's "Roxanne" and Rick James' "Super Freak."

The game is also said to feature "depictions of men and women in revealing outfits performing provocative choreography -- for example, women in negligees, black bras, panties dancing inside a classroom; large amounts of exposed cleavage, some grinding dance moves; and background images of storefronts/signs reading '25 cent Peepshows,' 'Live Sex Theatre,' and 'Topless Girls Dancing.'" Gosh golly! Regardless, with the recent release of Lips: Party Classics and today's ESRB listing, we have to imagine the official announce of Lips: I (Heart) the 80s is just around the corner. We'll be prepping our boom boxes with plenty of Public Enemy until then.

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esrbiniskaraokelipslips-i-heart-the-80slips-party-classicsMicrosoftmicrosoft-game-studiosmusicmusic-gamespublic-enemyrhythmrick-jamesroxannesuperfreakthe-policeXbox-360Sat, 06 Mar 2010 16:00:00 -050011|19386279http://www.joystiq.com/2010/02/16/whitesnake-songs-coming-to-one-music-game-or-another-coverdale/?utm_medium=feed&utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_campaign=Joystiq&ncid=rss_semi
http://www.joystiq.com/2010/02/16/whitesnake-songs-coming-to-one-music-game-or-another-coverdale/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/02/16/whitesnake-songs-coming-to-one-music-game-or-another-coverdale/?utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Joystiq#comments
Sure, you could guess that it was sex, drugs or rock and roll that addled Whitesnake vocalist David Coverdale's mind so much that he can't recall with any clarity which music game franchise he recently approved the band's "Here I Go Again" and "Still of the Night" for. And you'd probably be right -- if anyone took too many drugs and rocked a little too hard in the late '80s, it was probably Coverdale.

But don't jump to conclusions. Did you ever consider that maybe he was choosing to make a statement about the genre and its recent creative stagnation? Perhaps by saying, "I can't remember which one," he was actually opining that we haven't seen any real innovation in the "strum on the note" experience since the first Rock Band added other instruments. Perhaps Coverdale was actually calling for both Harmonix and Neversoft to reach out for originality, distinguish themselves and their respective games, and stop releasing copy after copy of what are essentially the same experiences. It was either that, or the too many drugs thing.

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coverdaledavid-coverdaleharmonixhere-i-go-againinnovationMicrosoftmusic-gamesneversoftNintendostill-of-the-nightwhitesnakeWiiXbox-360Tue, 16 Feb 2010 00:00:00 -050011|19359299http://www.joystiq.com/2010/02/10/activision-severely-cutting-music-game-releases-in-2010/?utm_medium=feed&utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_campaign=Joystiq&ncid=rss_semi
http://www.joystiq.com/2010/02/10/activision-severely-cutting-music-game-releases-in-2010/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/02/10/activision-severely-cutting-music-game-releases-in-2010/?utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Joystiq#commentsActivision plans to cut down on the number of Hero games in 2010. According to Activision Publishing CEO Mike Griffith in a conference call, the company expects the music game business to decline further as "the casual consumer proves less robust" and people are saturated enough with instrument controllers that they start buying only new discs.

"Fewer SKUs will service a broader audience," Griffith said. "In 2009 we released 25 music SKUs, and in 2010 we plan to release less than 10." The cuts will come in the form of PS2 versions and Band Hero bundles (leaving only standalone discs for that game), as the company focuses on Guitar Hero and DJ Hero releases in the "back half of the year."

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Activisionband-herodj-heroGuitar-HeroMicrosoftmike-griffithmusic-gamesNintendoWiiXbox-360Wed, 10 Feb 2010 19:00:00 -050011|19353228http://www.joystiq.com/2010/02/02/activisions-guitar-hero-ceo-replaced/?utm_medium=feed&utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_campaign=Joystiq&ncid=rss_semi
http://www.joystiq.com/2010/02/02/activisions-guitar-hero-ceo-replaced/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/02/02/activisions-guitar-hero-ceo-replaced/?utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Joystiq#comments
Activision's Guitar Hero business unit has a new boss, who's not the same as the old boss -- former COO David Haddad is taking over the post after CEO Dan Rosensweig left the company. Haddad was the head of Vivendi's Sierra Online division back in the day, but started working with the Guitar Hero group after Activision merged with Viviendi back in 2007.

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activisionchegg.comcommunitydan-amrichdan-rosensweigdavid-haddaddeclininggenreguitar-heromusic-gamesone-of-swordssalestextbookTue, 02 Feb 2010 21:15:00 -050011|19342276http://www.joystiq.com/2009/12/29/lgj-cross-licensing-complications/?utm_medium=feed&utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_campaign=Joystiq&ncid=rss_semi
http://www.joystiq.com/2009/12/29/lgj-cross-licensing-complications/http://www.joystiq.com/2009/12/29/lgj-cross-licensing-complications/?utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Joystiq#commentsMark Methenitis contributes Law of the Game on Joystiq ("LGJ"), a column on legal issues as they relate to video games:

You may have seen the news that ASCAP, one of the major music licensing groups, is asking for royalties over Guitar Hero arcade units because they view them as jukeboxes. This kind of story demonstrates a gray area that LGJ has touched on before: music down stream licensing in games. Given just how nebulous and complex this can be, it seems as though this is an appropriate time to discuss the issue in full. It's a complexity that speaks to the age of the industry, and just how many elements out there really haven't been sorted out as well as other media, like movies and television, have. It's also something that doesn't just affect game developers, but also establishment owners and musicians, like frequent Guitar Hero artist An Endless Sporadic.

This is one of those instances where there are so many moving pieces it's difficult to determine the most logical point to begin. The idea of collective music licensing is probably as good a place as any. Copyright law dictates that the creator of a work holds certain rights to that work, which we've discussed at length in LGJ. Based on those rights, if you want to integrate a copyrighted work into another work, you would need a license. As you could imagine, however, if you're creating a film or running a radio station, tracking down each and every artist for every song you want to use would be a labor intensive process that would likely never end. Enter companies like ASCAP and BMI as the solution to that very problem.

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arcadecopyrightguitar-herolawlaw-of-the-gamelgjmusicmusic-gamesTue, 29 Dec 2009 00:01:00 -050011|19292388http://www.joystiq.com/2009/12/22/new-music-games-store-arriving-on-xbox-live-today/?utm_medium=feed&utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_campaign=Joystiq&ncid=rss_semi
http://www.joystiq.com/2009/12/22/new-music-games-store-arriving-on-xbox-live-today/http://www.joystiq.com/2009/12/22/new-music-games-store-arriving-on-xbox-live-today/?utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Joystiq#commentsenlarge with the power of rock (or just click)
Microsoft has announced that it's rolling out the real Xbox Live Music Games stores. When the latest Dashboard Update rolled out earlier this year, this section was comprised solely of Xbox Live Marketplace entries for music game DLC, but now each game will be receiving its own themed store. So, if you want to pick up Rock Band or Guitar Hero tracks, you can open up the corresponding store and start browsing. Each store will also allow users to preview songs, so there's no need to fire up each game to see if you like a particular track.

The stores should be going live sometime today, so keep an eye on the Music Marketplace section of the Xbox 360 dashboard. The games that will feature their own stores include Rock Band, Rock Band 2, The Beatles: Rock Band, LEGO Rock Band, Guitar Hero 5, Guitar Hero: World Tour, Band Hero, Lips and Lips: Number One Hits. Check out images of the new storefronts in the gallery below.

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guitar-herolipsmusic-gamesrock-bandxblmxbox-livexbox-live-marketplaceTue, 22 Dec 2009 17:15:00 -050011|19291073http://www.joystiq.com/2009/10/27/review-dj-hero/?utm_medium=feed&utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_campaign=Joystiq&ncid=rss_semi
http://www.joystiq.com/2009/10/27/review-dj-hero/http://www.joystiq.com/2009/10/27/review-dj-hero/?utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Joystiq#comments
DJ Hero could end up being the most divisive video game ever created. It flies proudly in the face of certain qualities I've come to expect of the casual-aimed rhythm genre -- qualities such as accessibility, recognizability and general ease of play. Activision's latest possesses none of these characteristics: It's got a sheer learning curve, it exclusively features music that has been mashed into an indistinguishable pulp, and it's easily the most difficult peripheral-based rhythm game I've ever played. (Dance Dance Revolution notwithstanding, of course. These legs just weren't made to flail.)

Everyone who plays DJ Hero will either hate it to its core, eject the disc and toss in a more familiar musical standby, or, if they possess a certain collection of odd inclinations, they'll fall wildly in love with it. I fall into the latter group, though the small assembly of friends I recently had try their hands at the game fell firmly into the former. Yes, those people aren't writing this review, but I thought it important to note their existence.

For my part, I found DJ Hero to be fresh by every conceivable definition of the word.

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activisiondj-herofreestylegamesMicrosoftmusic-gamesNintendoredoctanerhythm-gamesWiiXbox-360Tue, 27 Oct 2009 18:27:00 -040011|19212138http://www.joystiq.com/2009/10/27/football-hero-mod-probably-the-biggest-hero-yet/?utm_medium=feed&utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_campaign=Joystiq&ncid=rss_semi
http://www.joystiq.com/2009/10/27/football-hero-mod-probably-the-biggest-hero-yet/http://www.joystiq.com/2009/10/27/football-hero-mod-probably-the-biggest-hero-yet/?utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Joystiq#comments
The next time your friends complain about soccer being boring, you can do something slightly more productive than silently mocking their boorish lack of sophistication. You can show them this video of "Football Hero" (after the break), which consists of soccer players kicking balls into a gigantic, vibration-sensitive screen to play Frets on Fire, a freeware adaptation of Guitar Hero's core gameplay.

Then, just for us, make sure you convince them that every soccer match is exactly like this.

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football-herofrets-on-fireguitar-herohacksmodsmusic-gamesTue, 27 Oct 2009 12:57:00 -040011|19211501http://www.joystiq.com/2009/10/09/eedar-game-sales-slowdown-turned-around-in-september/?utm_medium=feed&utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_campaign=Joystiq&ncid=rss_semi
http://www.joystiq.com/2009/10/09/eedar-game-sales-slowdown-turned-around-in-september/http://www.joystiq.com/2009/10/09/eedar-game-sales-slowdown-turned-around-in-september/?utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Joystiq#comments
2009 hasn't been the best year for the games industry. Month after month, we hear reports of reduced sales figures, company closures, and layoffs. Things may be turning around, though, as EEDAR analyst Jesse Divnich believes software sales during September 2009 have actually gone up from 2008, the first time in seven months thanks to strong sales of Halo 3: ODST, Wii Sports Resort, Marvel Ultimate Alliance 2, Madden NFL 10 and Batman: Arkham Asylum. All in all, software sales should come in at $715 million, a 16% increase over last year.

The music genre may be slowing down, but Divnich notes that "both Guitar Hero 5 and The Beatles: Rock Band have performed at levels ahead of retail expectations," with sales predicted at 800k and 1 million units respectively. The same analyst at EEDAR previously predicted that Guitar Hero 5 would outsell The Beatles 2:1. With NPD sales results dropping next week, we'll soon see how accurate Divnich's latest analysis is.

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analystbatman-arkham-asylumeedarguitar-hero-5halo-3-odstjesse-divnichmadden-10music-gamespredictionssalesthe-beatles-rock-bandwii-sports-resortFri, 09 Oct 2009 02:00:00 -040011|19189045http://wow.joystiq.com/2009/09/10/night-elf-in-guitar-hero-5/?utm_medium=feed&utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_campaign=WoW&ncid=rss_semi
http://wow.joystiq.com/2009/09/10/night-elf-in-guitar-hero-5/http://wow.joystiq.com/2009/09/10/night-elf-in-guitar-hero-5/?utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=WoW#comments
This is one of the many reasons why I really enjoy this job: one day, you're talking turkey with a psychologist who's dealing with serious addiction issues, and the next, you're writing about Night Elves in Guitar Hero 5. Personally, I prefer Harmonix's new Beatles game, but there's no denying that the character customization system in our very own Activision-Blizzard's Guitar Hero 5 is extremely complex. So much so that Artair on Doomhammer was actually able to make a pretty respectable-looking Night Elf male with the system.

Which really just makes it much more ridiculous that this thing could be playing onstage with none other than Kurt Cobain. But we'll let that one go -- if you've found a way to get any other Warcraft characters jamming in Guitar Hero (or any other game with an in-depth character creator), be sure to send us a tip and some pics.

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activision-blizzardbeatlescharacter-customizationcompetitioncustomizationguitar-hero-5harmonixkurt-cobainmusic-gamesnight-elfnight-elvessystemthe-beatles-rock-bandThu, 10 Sep 2009 13:00:00 -040099|19155626http://www.joystiq.com/2009/08/06/openchord-the-guitar-that-plays-guitar-hero/?utm_medium=feed&utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_campaign=Joystiq&ncid=rss_semi
http://www.joystiq.com/2009/08/06/openchord-the-guitar-that-plays-guitar-hero/http://www.joystiq.com/2009/08/06/openchord-the-guitar-that-plays-guitar-hero/?utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Joystiq#comments
The OpenChord V1 is one of those ideas that seems like it's just missing one key component keeping it from greatness. What the company's developed is a real guitar that you can plug into a Wiimote and use to play Guitar Hero. Cool idea, right?

Except there's just one tiny problem: Playing the guitar with Guitar Hero sounds like a nightmare. It's the kind of sound that makes you wanna storm into your bedroom and tell your little brother to stop playing with your axe before you punch his face off. No, we have no idea how to go about fixing this (we're not even sure unplugging the guitar would help), but it seems like it might be a deal breaker for some folks. Check it for yourself after the break.

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guitar-heromusic-gamesNintendoperipheralsrock-bandWiiThu, 06 Aug 2009 03:00:00 -040011|19120136http://www.joystiq.com/2009/07/31/xbox-avatars-to-appear-in-guitar-hero-5/?utm_medium=feed&utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_campaign=Joystiq&ncid=rss_semi
http://www.joystiq.com/2009/07/31/xbox-avatars-to-appear-in-guitar-hero-5/http://www.joystiq.com/2009/07/31/xbox-avatars-to-appear-in-guitar-hero-5/?utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Joystiq#comments
We're always lamenting how few things our precious Xbox Live Avatars are good for, but this seems like a darn fine implementation of them: Activision announced today that you'll be able to import your e-doppelganger into your Guitar Hero 5band to rock alongside the other characters that you've created. (We're hoping there won't be any prejudice against the curiously malformed musicians taking the stage, but you never can tell.)

The possibilities are endless. For starters, your Avatar could play alongside Kurt Cobain and whisper the encouragement in his ear he so desperately needed, thereby keeping him from taking his own life and changing the very course of history. Or, if you want to keep it simple, an all LeChuck band. The mind boggles.

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activisionavatarsguitar-hero-5Microsoftmusic-gamesXbox-360xbox-liveFri, 31 Jul 2009 09:12:00 -040011|19115414http://www.joystiq.com/2009/07/08/harmonix-music-games-may-not-rely-on-consoles-in-the-future/?utm_medium=feed&utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_campaign=Joystiq&ncid=rss_semi
http://www.joystiq.com/2009/07/08/harmonix-music-games-may-not-rely-on-consoles-in-the-future/http://www.joystiq.com/2009/07/08/harmonix-music-games-may-not-rely-on-consoles-in-the-future/?utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Joystiq#comments
Music games have been blowing up lately (surprise!) but Harmonix can envision a time when they may not even need the boxes that brought them to the big show. Company boss Josh Randall told Videogamer.com, "I think you could foresee a future where maybe you don't even have a console. Your instrument can have all these songs and you just plug it into your TV."

Sorry Harmonix, but if you've got a spare $33.27, you can see that you've already been beaten to it. It's a guitar, it's a game, you might say ... it's the best of both worlds.

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eaElectronic-Artsharmonixmusic-gamesrock-bandWed, 08 Jul 2009 14:00:00 -040011|19090556http://www.joystiq.com/2009/07/08/mtv-games-cautious-about-introducing-even-more-peripherals/?utm_medium=feed&utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_campaign=Joystiq&ncid=rss_semi
http://www.joystiq.com/2009/07/08/mtv-games-cautious-about-introducing-even-more-peripherals/http://www.joystiq.com/2009/07/08/mtv-games-cautious-about-introducing-even-more-peripherals/?utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Joystiq#commentsNew MTV Games general manager Scott Guthrie told IGN that his company plans to show restraint in terms of peripherals in the future, suggesting that other publishers may go overboard with single-purpose peripherals -- like skateboards, turntables, and different turntables. "It's all about the software and gameplay," Guthrie said. "If those can be enhanced in a meaningful way by peripherals, then you ought to go down that path."

"If it isn't [enhancing gameplay] or it's not an incremental value add," he said, "then you don't do it." Presumably by "value add" he means adding value to the game, not to the cost, because all of those peripherals do that.

The statements take on a kind of hilarious quality when you realize what MTV Games is best known for: Rock Band. Most gamers would agree that Rock Band's use of peripherals is justified, but we still don't really think it should be acting like it's being judicious with its controllers. Unless, of course, the cutoff point is two guitars, three microphones, a drum kit, and a smoke machine. Anything beyond that is too much.

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eaElectronic-Artsmtv-gamesmusicmusic-gamesperipheralsrock-bandWed, 08 Jul 2009 08:00:00 -040011|19089057http://www.joystiq.com/2009/05/12/rock-band-country-track-pack-coming-july-21/?utm_medium=feed&utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_campaign=Joystiq&ncid=rss_semi
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We know that many of you will roll your eyes and scroll right along when we tell you that EA/MTV/Harmonix has just announced the stand-alone Rock Band Country Track Pack coming to 360, PS3, PS2 and Wii on July 21. That's fine, we understand. Even if you have a passing interest, you'll be able to check them all out when they eventually make their way to the Rock Band Music Store.

But before you go, you should know that the $30 pack of 21 songs includes one of the greatest recordings of all time, Kenny Rogers' "The Gambler." Sure, there are other songs on there, we've even put a list of the first few after the break. But if you boot up "She Thinks My Tractor's Sexy" before "The Gambler," we're going to cut off Travis Tritt's mullet and feed it to you.

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country-track-packdlceaElectronic-ArtsharmonixMicrosoftmusic-gamesNintendorock-bandrock-band-country-track-packWiiXbox-360Tue, 12 May 2009 10:40:00 -040011|1543661http://www.joystiq.com/2008/10/22/music-game-makers-to-retailers-tough-noogies/?utm_medium=feed&utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_campaign=Joystiq&ncid=rss_semi
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Dear retailers, we're so sorry that you're running low on space on your shelves for music games. Sadly (for you, at least) it simply doesn't matter. See, we just surpassed sports in the battle for most popular genre. Fifty-eight percent of those surveyed say they play music games, compared to a paltry 50 percent for sports. The only one left to topple is the action genre and, like 27 pallets of Guitar Hero Aerosmith, it too will fall.

So if you need more shelf space, tell Madden to move his tubby ass to the bargain bin, because we're not going anywhere.

In the latest round of the great "our drum kit is better - or at least bigger - than your drum kit" conflict of ought eight, Konami definitely comes out the clear winner with Rock Revolution. However, we don't necessarily know if that's a good thing, based on our experience playing the title at its formal unveiling.

Despite the fact that it will offer support for lead and bass guitars, Rock Revolution is very much a drum-centric game. The behemoth of a drum controller has six pads and a pedal, looking like something Darth Vader would have lying around in his hyperbaric chamber.

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handsonkonamikonami-gamers-night-2008music-gamesPS3rock-revolutionXbox-360zoe-modeFri, 16 May 2008 19:30:00 -040011|1197723http://www.joystiq.com/2008/01/08/mtv-unveils-rhythm-game-track-finder-service/?utm_medium=feed&utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_campaign=Joystiq&ncid=rss_semi
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Wondering if your favorite artist has ever appeared in a rhythm game? Looking for an easy way to compare track listings? MTV has just unveiled a new service that looks like it could be an answer for all your rock 'n' roll prayers: The Rhythm Game Track Finder.

The idea is simple: Enter in a song title or band name, and the Track Finder tells you in which games it/they have appeared, when the game was released, even whether a master track or cover version was used. Though we found a couple of technical hiccups (we got double results for one of our searches), this looks like it's likely to be invaluable for rhythm fans.